The CRTC is asking the big three telecoms to outline the “concrete steps” they are taking to address what it found to be unacceptably high international roaming charges and less choice than their peers in other countries.
Over a year ago, the regulator confirmed that it was studying international roaming prices after a letter from the innovation minister asked the CRTC to look into the matter. The letter and the CRTC’s confirmation came in the same month that Bell and Telus raised their U.S. and international roaming rates.
On Monday, the CRTC found both that “Canadians lack choice…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Carriers will have to come to an agreement over the wholesale rate charged for domestic roaming, with the CRTC only acting as the decider of last resort, the regulator announced Monday.
The announcement means the CRTC is moving away from what is called “Phase II” costing methodology, which involves the national carriers submitting cost studies, typically for a five-year forward-looking period, so all regional competitors are paying the same rate.
This time, the commission is choosing to go the commercial negotiation route guided by rate benchmarks it will publish on an annual basis, which it said will include weighted…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC is investigating whether Facebook has been allowing Canadian news on its platform in violation of the Online News Act.
Meta, the parent of the social media giant, said it will not be sharing news links to Canadian news content because it disagrees with the new law that requires large technology platforms to pay Canadian news companies to host those links.
But in a letter dated Friday, the CRTC’s executive director of broadcasting said it has fielded reports that the social media giant is still hosting the content.
“As you know, in response to the Online News Act (the Act), Meta…
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A Writers Guild of Canada report, published last week, found a decline in the number of episodes across every TV format – a first since it started publishing its “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” report.
Between 2018 and 2023, the report says one-hour drama episodes decreased by 45 per cent; the number of half-hour adult episodes dropped by 16 per cent; episodes of half-hour children’s live-action series decreased by 48 per cent; the number of half-hour animation episodes fell by 79 per cent; the number of 15-minute animation episodes fell by 33 per cent; and the number of 10-minutes-and-under animation episodes…
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The CRTC said Thursday it has conditionally approved $8 million from its $750-million Broadband Fund to fund transport fibre infrastructure in 16 communities in Manitoba.
The money will go to Brandon-based cooperative Westman Communications Group and will consist of roughly $4.8 million to build 186 kilometres of fibre to the benefit of roughly 266 households in Camperville, Cowan, Fork River, Renwer, Sifton, and Valley River.
Another $1.6 million will go toward the build of a 62-kilometer stretch of fibre to connect roughly 429 households in Birnie, Eden, and Riding Mountain; $1.2 million to build roughly 44 kilometres of fibre to serve…
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Public relations campaign against Online Streaming Act launches
By Ahmad Hathout
Two music organizations have sent a letter to the CRTC disagreeing with what they say is an attempt to apply radio-like regulation to audio streaming services.
Music Canada, which represents major record labels like Sony Music, Universal Music and Warner Music, and the Digital Media Association (DiMA), a trade group representing the likes of Amazon, Apple, Spotify, and Google’s Youtube, said they were part of CRTC-hosted engagement sessions from September 11 to 18. They said they were then encouraged to write to the regulator any thoughts and clarifications following those meetings.
“From…
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The CRTC is asking the country’s largest telecoms to answer questions as to how the decommissioning of their 3G networks will impact those still on the legacy wireless technology.
In a letter Tuesday, the commission is asking Rogers, Bell, Telus, Quebecor, SaskTel, Iristel, and TBayTel to answer a few questions by November 1.
Those questions include whether the telecoms and their flankers still operate a 3G network and whether they have 3G-only plans available in the market; whether they plan to decommission the 3G network in the next three years and, if so, when that will happen, what will happen to…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC is looking for a senior auditor to prepare an annual report detailing the impact of the Online News Act on the Canadian digital news marketplace.
According to a contract published on the federal government’s procurement website Tuesday, the independent auditor or auditors will cover the period between June 2024 to June 2025, with a CRTC option to extend it two additional one-year periods.
Bid closing is October 15.
The CRTC is required to get an independent auditor under the new law, which mandates that foreign tech platforms pay news businesses for linking to their content….
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By Ahmad Hathout
An association representing French-language music publishers wants the CRTC to collect and make public data from online streaming services to evaluate how well they are promoting Canadian content as part of its implementation of the Online Streaming Act.
In a Part 1 application published this month, the Association des Professionnels de L’edition Musicale (APEM) is urging the regulator to collect data on a quarterly basis from the streaming services related to the rank, title, artist, release data and origin of listens and impressions (where the music is displayed to the user) of the top musical scores that run…
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By Ahmad Hathout
A Senate bill to impose a nationwide framework regulating advertising for sports betting could reduce those ads at a time when the provinces are still navigating the nascent market and as broadcasters are desperately grasping for any advertising dollars they can get, the head of a major broadcasting group told senators on the Transport and Communications committee Wednesday night.
Bill S-269 would task the minister of Canadian Heritage to consult various government departments to create a national framework “with a view to restricting the use of such advertising, limiting the scope or location … or…
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